It Comes to This
by Ignotus Somnium
Summary: Some things don't end the way they're planned.


Title: "It Comes to This"

Theresa A.B. (Tash Dragon)

Date: November 26, 2004. 9:29 P.M.

Disclaimer: Invader Zim and all related things are copyright Jhonen Vasquez and the Nick people, not me. The actual sequence of words that constitute this story, however, is my brain property. Please do not steal my brains.

A/N: I've had someone ask me whether I was going to continue "Perseverance." Currently, the answer is no. When I started it, I wasn't thinking about the time I would have to devote to it in order to write it well. I already am having problems finding the time to do things I need to do, let alone a twenty-plus chapter fanfic. Enjoy this little one-shot, though. (Why is it that the first time I have anything worth posting in months, disables submissions? Grrr.)

* * *

Dib had been chasing Zim for the last three hours. It was a bit hard, he admitted to himself, to track someone for so long without them noticing it. Especially when the tracking was being done in the quarry's own home. But somehow, Dib had done just that. Hiding behind computer consoles and experiment containment chambers, diving underneath tables, he had managed to follow Zim through his base. There was no way to be sure, but Dib was almost positive the alien hadn't seen him.

He'd been through a few of the parts of Zim's base before, but a lot of the rooms required a code. Thanks to Zim, he now had that code. It was rather foolish of him to keep the same sequence throughout the base. But then again, maybe it meant something. To Dib, it was just a meaningless pattern of blocky, alien figures.

With cautious steps, Dib walked further into the base. Everything in here was made of reddish metal. Was it painted, or was it an entirely alien sort of metal? He made a mental note to test that when he got home. Still, Dib continued forward. It seemed like Zim was finally reaching some sort of end to this long hike through the base. Wherever he was going, the alien was spending less time looking over data screens and experiments.

Zim typed in the passcode to another door, which slid open quietly. Dib ran to the door as soon as it closed again, and put his ear to the door. As soon as Zim's footsteps faded away, Dib entered the code. Again the door slid open, and Dib continued his hunt. He recognized this place. It was the entrance to the gigantic central computer, where Zim had brought them during Tak's attempted invasion. Dib crept along the walls, attempting to go unnoticed until the right time came.

Zim typed eagerly at his alien console, mumbling to himself. Images of spaceships and giant machines appeared on the screens, along with various shots of planets. In one screen, a massive spacecraft orbited a greenish planet, surrounded by a multitude of smaller ships. Dib almost stopped right there, awestruck by what he was seeing. This wasn't a blurry controversial UFO picture, or a science fiction film made by flashy graphics. This was real. Real alien planets, surrounded by real alien vessels. It was amazing... But Dib shook himself out of it. Later. He could look at pictures later.

Zim was still at the consoles, completely unaware. He was actually humming a nonsense little tune. Dib took in a deep breath.

Then he dashed forward. Before Zim could even turn around, Dib had him knocked to the ground. He kneeled down and placed a needle to the base of Zim's neck.

"I have you now, Zim!" he declared. "Soon, the world will see the truth! No one will be able to dismiss you as a normal human!" Zim squirmed uncomfortably on the floor, trying to get a view of the needle poking him in the neck. He gave up when Dib elbowed him hard in the spine.

"What are you going to do, Dib?" Zim spat. "Kill me and put me on an autopsy table? I've been looking through your Earth files. There have been alien autopsies in the past, but nobody believes they were real."

"Maybe not, but this is an anaesthetic. It'll just knock you out for a while. By the time you wake up, you'll be in a scientific lab. When they're done getting information about your "mighty Irken race", maybe they'll kill you to do an autopsy."

Dib grinned, knowing full well that he had won. Zim just ground his teeth.

"It won't be that easy, Stink-human," Zim said finally. One of the dots on his Pak slid back, and a robotic arm extended from it. Connected to the arm was what appeared to be a gun. A gun aimed straight for Dib's head. "As soon as you inject me with your sleep-poison, the lazer will melt your human brain meats into goo."

Dib stared at the gun. There was no uncertainty in Zim's voice; he was telling the truth. "And if I let you go? Will you still shoot me?"

Now it was Zim's turn to grin. "Maybe, Dib. Maybe."


End file.
